A/N: Hey everyone! How have you been? Good I hope. Well, thanks to all those who reviewed! They really do make my day.
OVER 1000 REVIEWS! I'm at a loss for words…except for two: Thank you
** In case some of you don't know yet, the new Bleach movie: Fade to Black, is out subbed now. **
If only Sirius Black could see that look. See how the boy had embraced the gift ladened with unuttered apologies and regrets. See how he'd finally, after years of waiting, made his Godson happy.
Time skips ahoy! A bit of a filler chapter really. Lots of time skips. We need to get into April so the action can start!
"Harry, we have absolutely no idea where this came from."
Hitsugaya looked up to find Hermione frowning down at the broom that both boys were still examining.
"For all we know it could be tampered with. I mean, who would send you something like this?"
The taicho resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"It could be from Sirius Black!"
Ron quirked an eyebrow, "You're saying…that Sirius Black just bought the most expensive broom in all of existence…to kill Harry."
The witch huffed, "Don't look at me like I'm crazy Ron. We all know that he's after Harry."
"Oh come off it 'Mione! You're just being stupid now."
"Oh, I'm being stupid am I?!"
The Shinigami slammed his head against the back of his chair before sliding up onto the arm and twisting off, "I'm going for a walk."
Neville looked up at him with a face that clearly said 'Don't leave me!'
"Neville's coming too."
His friend looked extremely relieved as he clambered to his feet before carefully setting the ice tree he'd still been holding on the table, "We'll just go grab our cloaks— or uh, I will at least."
The three friends were too engrossed in their escalating argument to really take notice of their speedy departure.
Neville dashed up the stairs and reappeared with his cloak thrown over his arm and they both climbed out of the portrait hole just as the real screaming started.
The taller of the two coughed, "So uh…that was interesting."
"Interesting…," Toshiro nodded.
New Years.
Unlike Christmas, the young taicho really understood New Years. Even if the date was a tad different than what was normally celebrated in Soul Society the entire event was more or less the same thing.
Gryffindors filled the common room as many of them sucked down Butterbeers that the Weasley twins had somehow managed to sneak in.
He'd tried one of the drinks only to discover it was extremely sweet and had a rather warming effect.
He'd hated it.
Everyone had looked at him as if he'd grown a second head when he'd set the bottle back down on the table clearly refusing to pick it up again. Neville had caught on rather quickly but Ron continued to try and 'educate' him on the wonder that was Butterbeer.
"Look, for the last time Ron, I just don't like it. Now sit down and shut up."
The redhead huffed as he plopped himself down onto the couch next to Harry.
Hermione was off somewhere else- most likely the library- because apparently she had yet to be forgiven.
A few nights before Professor McGonagall had confiscated Harry's new broom on the grounds that it could have been jinxed by Black. The taicho was rather displeased with the fact that the gift Sirius had put so much care into was being tampered with.
But, really, the witch was right in her thoughts more or less. After all, the broom really was from Black. The only point she had wrong was the part about him using it to kill Harry.
Then again, that might have been the most important one.
"So," the boy who lived started "Professor Lupin is going to start with my lessons soon. Are you still coming?"
The taicho nodded as he looked back to the book in his lap, "I suppose so."
"Well you don't seem too pleased about it."
"Hn."
"He said we'd start them the first evening after classes were back in session. So be ready for then alright?"
"I'll be ready," the taicho said dismissively as he flipped the page.
It was the final night of the break and Toshiro could yet again be found picking the lock on the shop's door and slipping out into the main street of Hogsmead.
When he arrived at the Shrieking Shack he was surprised to find Ukitake waiting on the doorstep with the large black dog he'd grown accustomed to at his side.
The Shinigami frowned, "You're leaving right now?"
The man smiled tiredly, "I'm afraid so. It's about time I got back."
Hitsugaya nodded as he wandered down the path, "I trust you'll relay all the necessary information?"
"Of course."
"And check on Matsumoto would you? I don't know what she's up to but it doesn't bode well for Kuchiki."
"Yes…about that."
The younger taicho looked over sharply, "What?"
"Well, there's been some…things happening."
Toshiro turned to Sirius, "Could you excuse us for a moment?"
The man, turned dog, gave a bark before bounding down the path and into the tree line.
"What's been happening?"
"There have been several incidents around the tenth division, and even a few in the sixth."
The boy huffed, his breath coming in wisps of white, "Incidents involving what?"
Ukitake laughed nervously, "Abarai-kun intercepted some- or maybe I should say fell victim to— but, hair dye, ink spills…traps of every sort imaginable. Some quite clever really," the man mused
"There was something involving fake missions, forged paperwork has just been discovered. It seems hundreds of t-shirts were ordered with some...," he coughed "Inappropriate things, printed on them."
"Inappropriate."
Ukitake nodded, "Yes, some…questionable comments about Byakuya….some innuendoes about him as well. Not all unflattering though…actually many are quite funny. Abarai-kun has taken to wearing one under his uniform."
If Abarai was wearing them…poor Kuchiki. A simple muffin basket wouldn't cut it anymore. Damn. Maybe a lot of muffins…and few books. But how many muffins could even fit in the average basket? Surely quite a few.
Or maybe a bonsai tree would be appropriate. Kuchiki liked bonsai trees and they were supposedly calming. Calming was good.
"Could you check in on her please?"
Ukitake nodded, "Of course. I'm sure she's just acting out for one reason or another."
"Yes," Toshiro muttered under his breathe. "Just make sure she doesn't drive him into the mad house."
The older taicho placed a warm hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry about that. Just take care of yourself."
He began down the path the path and out to the fence that bordered the property, "Check in with us when you can," he called over the cold winds. "And Byakuya will be fine. It will take more than Matsumoto to get to him."
As Ukitake disappeared into the night and out to the edges of Hogsmead the now lone Shinigami sighed, "But you don't know Matsumoto."
---
Once Ukitake had gone the situation in the Shrieking Shack had turned…rather awkward to say the least.
Black was moping about on the tattered bed while Hitsugaya had taken up residence in one of the old chairs.
"You need to get me into Hogwarts," the criminal started quietly. "I need to find Peter."
"If anything Peter's long gone. And if not, the grounds are huge. He could be anywhere."
The man huffed, "He's somewhere where he can be comfortable."
"Hn. That doesn't exactly narrow down our options much. The forest is clearly out…but the castle itself is large…" Suddenly an idea dawned on the small taicho, "Actually, give me a few weeks. Two months at the most. I'll get you in then."
Sirius looked up, "What do you have planned?"
"You'll see. But I assure you, you'll find that rat."
---
Harry sighed as he sat up in bed and the moon light shone in through the window pane. It was well past midnight and yet sleep continued to elude him.
Green eyes glanced about the room stopping when he noticed one bed was empty; Toshiro's bed.
The boy frowned.
Maybe he was down in the common room? It wasn't out of the ordinary to find the transfer asleep in his favoured chair by the window if he found the room to be too warm for his liking.
The teen pulled on his glasses and threw back the covers. It would be best if Hitsugaya slept in his actual bed for the night or his neck would be horrible in the morning.
He gave a great yawn as he descended the stairs and walked out into the…empty common room.
"Huh…where could he be?" Harry muttered to himself as he sat down in one of the cushy chairs by the embers of the fire.
He gave another yawn but it was cut short as the portrait hole flung open and Toshiro clambered through, shaking snow from his boots as he did.
The dead boy looked up rather curiously, "What are you doing up?"
Harry frowned, "I couldn't sleep. I think the better question is what are you doing up?"
"I just went for a walk."
"In the middle of the night?" he asked disbelievingly.
The boy shrugged as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and sat down in his seat by the window.
"Does it have something to do with Dumbledore?"
"I just went for a walk on the grounds."
The Boy Who Lived scowled, rather put off with the whole situation, "A walk?! At midnight? I doubt it. What's really going on?"
Hitsugaya glared as he stood gracefully, "I think you'll find that it's none of your business. Good night Potter."
Said boy stood to follow, "How didn't you get caught?"
"It's rather easy if you don't go parading around like a heard of elephants actually. You should try it."
And with that the boy climbed the stairs and disappeared off into the shadows.
"What are you up to?" Harry grumbled as he sat back down.
Hitsugaya was his friend. They weren't as close as he was with Ron and Hermione or like Toshiro was with Neville and Luna but they stood each other's company. And a certain bond of delicate trust had slowly unfurled between them.
But trust was something easily broken. Dumbledore's words of warning rang through his head as he stared off into the stairwell long after Hitsugaya was gone and probably even asleep. Just what was he doing out at this time of night?
And he realized then that maybe that delicate bond of trust was just a little more fragile than he'd thought.
Toshiro sighed as he tried not to let his eyes slip closed. Divination. Whoever decided that students' time would be best spent cooped up in a tiny room with odd smelling incense and a rather insane woman preaching about opening their minds and seeing beyond the vale must have been a few soldiers short of a platoon.
His hand twitched as Neville ran his finger over one of the lines of his skin.
"Okay so your fate line is here," he muttered and once again traced the line with his finger tip, "Which means you're in control of your life. Your life line is deep…so…you have a lot of…vitality?"
The Shinigami shrugged; he hadn't bothered to read the book. Although, if the teacher asked he could give a fully formed detailed answer none the less.
"Well, you'll live for a long time…which we've already figured out. Trials…you work hard…and this is crap."
"Finally," the taicho grumbled as he withdrew his hand "I was beginning to wonder just how long you were going to put up with this farce."
Neville sighed, "Yeah well, it might be stupid but we still have to write an exam at the end of the year."
"True," the white haired boy conceded "But, it should be simple enough. And you forget that I won't be attending Hogwarts next year. Unlike you, these grades will have no effect on my education."
The other boy gave him a half hearted glare as he shut his text book and slipped it into his bag, "Way to rub it in."
"Hn. Yes, I take joy in your misery."
"You sadist."
"Call me what you like."
"Fine, I will."
As the days past and the January bled into February Hitsugaya began to notice…a change.
Hermione and Ron were still at odds because of Scabbers and the Firebolt incident, but that wasn't anything new. It was Harry that had him thinking.
He'd felt the weight of the teen's gaze as he moved about his classes and when he was sitting in the Great Hall. He'd been tense and paranoid. It had gotten to a point where if the Shinigami made any sudden movement those green eyes would be on him in an instant.
Scrutinizing, questioning, mistrusting.
He'd never called Potter a friend like he did Neville but he'd thought a certain understanding had been formed between them. Yet, since that night in the common room that understanding had degraded to nothing.
The taicho had attended a few of the boy's lessons with Lupin but it seemed as if Potter simply couldn't concentrate with him in the room so in the end he'd withdrawn of his own accord. If either Hermione or Ron had noticed anything they were too caught up in their own arguments to mention it.
Even their relationship with Luna had grown slightly forced. It wasn't that they were angry with each other; actually he doubted the blonde was capable of anger…but she seemed distant.
More so than usual.
Maybe it was because of the fact that they had no classes together because of the year difference. Or maybe it was because Hitsugaya was no longer considered the Ravenclaw turned Gryffindor. He was just a Gryffindor now.
"Maybe it's just you," Neville suggested when Toshiro had brought up his thoughts on the matter towards the end of February. "I mean, have you made any real attempt to connect with her?"
The Shinigami glared, "I'm not exactly experienced when it comes to dealing with friends."
His friend nodded, "Well, in a friendship sometimes you have to make an effort. It's not always easy; sometimes you need to work for it in order to make it work."
"So…we should sit with her at dinner?"
"Or lunch. And who said anything about 'we'?"
Toshiro frowned, "You're not going to sit with us?"
Neville shrugged, "I'm not the one that apparently misses her."
The boy rolled his eyes, "I don't miss her. I just haven't had the chance to thank her for her gift."
"Are you sure that's the only reason?" the taller asked in a mocking tone.
The taicho frowned for a moment, "Yes, I'm positive."
Neville sighed, "That just went right over your head."
Toshiro gazed up at him curiously, "What?"
"Never mind."
It was just the beginning of April when it seemed that the long standing feud between Hermione and Ron was finally at a close.
McGonagall had come by the common room that evening and returned the Firebolt claiming that there was nothing wrong with the broom. To Toshiro's eye it seemed to look exactly as it had when Harry had handed over the gift to the Professor and apparently the boys agreed, as did the rest of the Gryffindors who were crowed around.
The witch seemed rather downcast as she sat beside the taicho in his regular spot by the window. It was hot enough in that God forsaken room without everyone squeezed around Harry breathing all over each other.
It seemed Ron had made another tactless comment.
One day he'd learn.
"I was just worried," Hermione sniffed as she tried to remain calm.
Hitsugaya nodded, "I'm sure that they'll understand."
"Oh, you don't know them like I do! They'll Lord it over me for years. Or at least Ron will."
The taicho glanced over at the excited redhead, "Yes, well that may be true but if you thought it was the right thing to do I don't see the problem. You did what you thought was right and everything was fine in the end. You should be celebrating over there with them."
She glanced over at him, "And what about you? Why aren't you over there as well?"
The Shinigami rolled his eyes, "As if I'd lower myself to their level. Where I come from one doesn't make a fuss about the tool with which you use to clean the floors of dirt and dust."
Hermione laughed at that. "I guess it must seem odd to you."
"You could say that."
"So how do you get around? Do you have cars or something?"
Toshiro shook his head, "No, we walk everywhere more or less. It's all on foot. There are some bicycles but you'll find they're far and few between."
She quirked an eyebrow, "So…you don't have much technology then?"
"Ah well," he started "It all depends on where you live. Some parts don't have electricity but in some of the…areas you have phones. But even though we have electricity we tend to use candles and torches instead of lights. It's a rather ragtag system I suppose but it gets us by."
She looked interested now; all thoughts of the Firebolt forgotten for the moment, "What about schooling and hospitals? Is there a government?"
The taicho sighed, realizing what he'd just gotten himself into and he suddenly wished Neville hadn't gone to bed early.
"We only have one school and not many people attend. You'll find most people don't have any education at all. A government…yes. And we have healers."
The bushy haired teen nodded as she leaned forward in her seat as if trying to get closer to the answers she knew to be hidden away in his mind, "What type of government? Is it a democracy or…a monarchy?"
The boy frowned, "I'm afraid it isn't really all that comparable to the governments here. We have one leader but he's supported by twelve others below him. But we also have a King and there are some nobles. It's all based around the military though…but I suppose in a way it combines several of your types of governments."
"It sounds fascinating."
Hitsugaya nodded, "It's rather interesting in its own way."
They fell silent allowing the sounds of the growing crowd around Harry to overtake them.
"Hey Hitsugaya," Ron suddenly called from within the din. "Why don't you take a ride on it? You're always looking up at the sky. How about being in it?"
The taicho shook his head, "I'm afraid I much prefer the stability of the ground."
A lie.
He envied the birds in indescribable ways. Ways that could make his chest ache and his hands clench until he knuckles were burning white. It left a bitter taste on his tongue. To be a part of the sky; that was something he longed for. And he lived for those moments when he could soar through the air by Hyorinmaru's power. By his power. It pained him to think of being forever grounded.
Stranded on the earth when there was a whole other world just above it; hidden away among the clouds. He couldn't help but wish for the school year to end. Ten months was far too long to be stuck on the ground.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
Dear Readers,
Have any of you seen the new Inuyasha series? Nice opening and ending. No change what so ever though otherwise. Well, okay the art is better than it was at the end of the first series. It's clean again because we all know it started to tank after a while. I'm just curious to see what they do with it though I don't really expect much. The new Fade to Black movie is out as I said before. It was really good. The art was amazingly beautiful as always (compared to the anime it's always spectacular), the music was gorgeous and the plot was cool enough. I of course cried at the end as always. One thing about the Bleach movies is…I love the lighting. That might sound weird but I love the way they make the lighting appear in all the movies. It's just flawlessly beautiful and they use it to cast lines and shadows on the faces in ways other anime don't bother with. It just makes my day to see. If any of you are interested in the new Inuyasha show and can't find the episodes I can send you the link to the first episode. That's all that's been released so far. Thanks for reading,
ForeverFalling.
